The Geese & the Ghost

by Anthony Phillips

Overview

Anthony Phillips' first post-Genesis solo album was an extension of the pseudo-medieval folk elements found on Trespass, the last of his Genesis albums. Much of this recording sounds like a lost Genesis album, understandable since Phil Collins does a lot of the singing, and Michael Rutherford is present on guitar, bass, and keyboards, and also shares composer credits with him on major parts of this album. Portions of the material here, in fact, seem to have been derived from pieces they composed together in Genesis' early days that proved unsuitable for performance on-stage. Thus, The Geese & the Ghost comes off as a sort of throwback, picking up stylistically where Trespass or Nursery Cryme (check out the second part of the title track) left off nearly six years earlier. "Henry: Portraits from Tudor Times" can still hold the patient listener's attention, as it moves from bold synthesizer-generated fanfares to intimate classical guitar passages into soaring movements for electric guitar, flute, and oboe no less (there are three flutists here, plus one violinist, two cellists, and a pair of oboists, Bob Phillips and Laza Momulovich, who often get placed very prominently in the mix, probably a first on a rock album). The 15-minute two-part title track is very arty in an early-'70s manner, midway between early Genesis and Amazing Blondel (note that neither of those groups still existed in their progressive rock incarnations in 1977), and although it lacks the vibrancy that the former could generate or the impressive musical language or vocalizing of the latter, it is pretty. The CD reissue (which is devoid of instrumental credits) has a demo, "Master of Time," as a bonus. That song, a fey mix of sci-fi and faux-medieval sensibilities, is played -- on acoustic and electric guitars, with piano and no classical musicians added -- with some effort at excitement and vibrancy. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	06/01/2018
Label:	Belle Antique
UPC:	4527516603809
Rank:	164286

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Anthony Phillips   Primary Artist,Bass,Gong,Bells,Drums,Organ,Piano,Chimes,Guitar,Vocals,Bazouki,Celeste,Timbales,Harmonium,Keyboards,Mellotron,Synthesizer,Glockenspiel,Arp Pro Soloist,Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Guitar (Classical),Guitar (12 String Acoustic),Guitar (12 String Electric)
Barge Rabble   Primary Artist
Send Barns Orchestra   Primary Artist
Lazo Momchilovich   Oboe,Cor Anglais
Viv McAuliffe   Vocals
Anton Matthews   Completion
Wil Sleath   Flute,Piccolo,Recorder,Baroque Flute
Robin Phillips   Oboe
Viv McCauliffe   Vocals
Ralph Bernascone   Soloist
Martin Westlake   Timpani
Anthony Phillips Band   Bass,Gong,Bells,Drums,Organ,Piano,Chimes,Guitar,Vocals,Bazouki,Celeste,Dulcimer,Timbales,Harmonium,Keyboards,Mellotron,Synthesizer,Glockenspiel,Arp Pro Soloist,Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Classical),Guitar (12 String Acoustic),Guitar (12 String Electric)
John Hackett   Flute,Flute
Rob Phillips   Oboe
Michael Rutherford   Bass,Bells,Organ,Guitar,Cymbals,Timbales,Glockenspiel,Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Classical),Guitar (12 String Acoustic),Guitar (12 String Electric),Guitar (12 String)
Ronnie Gunn   Piano,Harmonium
Jack Lancaster   Flute,Lyricon
Kirk Trevor   Cello
Phil Collins   Drums,Vocals
Mike Rutherford   Bass,Bells,Drums,Organ,Guitar,Cymbals,Timbales,Glockenspiel,Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Classical),Guitar (12 String Acoustic),Guitar (12 String Electric)
Jeremy Gilbert   Conductor
Charlie Martin   Cello
Tom Newman   Heckelphone
Nick Hayley   Violin

Technical Credits

Jonathan Dann   Mixing,Liner Notes,Reissue Selection
Tex Yodel Read   Equipment Technician
Anthony Phillips Band   Engineer,Producer,Reissue Selection
Geoff Banks   Equipment Technician
Neil Wilkes   Authoring
Andy Miles   Mixing
Michael Rutherford   Composer,Engineer,Lyricist,Producer
Beau Heyworth   Producer
Simon Heyworth   Audio Production,Reissue Remastering,Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Audio Engineer
Phil Collins   Producer
Anthony Phillips   Composer,Engineer,Lyricist,Producer,Audio Production
Mike Rutherford   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Audio Engineer,Audio Production
Jonathan Pryce   Layout Design,Reissue Design
Rhett Davies   Engineer
Peter Cross   Cover Design
Anton Matthews   Remixing